Ghostly Figure Emerges in Greenland Ice After Underground Lake Collapse
In a remarkable discovery, scientists uncovered a mysterious ghostly figure in the ice of Greenland, resembling a shapeless entity waving up at space. This eerie figure, dubbed “the mitten” due to its glove-like shape, emerged between Aug. 16 and Sept. 6, 2011, leaving researchers baffled by its sudden appearance. The ghostly structure, measuring around 2 miles long and over 1 mile wide at its widest point, was located in the Flade Isblink ice cap in northeast Greenland.
The strange phenomenon was captured by NASA’s Landsat satellite in June 2014, revealing a ghostly-looking indentation in the snow-covered surface of the ice cap. This discovery sparked curiosity and intrigue among the scientific community, leading to further investigation into the origins of this enigmatic icy apparition.
### Uncovering the Mystery
Upon closer examination, researchers found that the ghostly figure was the result of a collapse in an underground lake located beneath the ice. The depression in the snow-covered surface formed when the subglacial lake rapidly drained of water, causing an underground cavern to collapse. This event, which occurred over a relatively short period, created the ghostly shape that captured the attention of scientists and observers alike.
Kelly Brunt, a glaciologist at NASA’s Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory, described the event as “perhaps the first recorded instance of a rapid drainage of a subglacial lake in Greenland.” The sudden disappearance of water from the underground lake led to the formation of the ghostly figure, leaving researchers puzzled by the mechanisms behind this unusual phenomenon.
### Tracking the Transformation
Over the years, researchers monitored the ghostly depression and observed significant changes in its structure. A follow-up study in 2022 revealed that the subglacial lake had been slowly refilling since 2012, with the floor of the depression rising by 180 feet. Despite a second draining event in 2019, the ghostly figure continued to evolve, raising questions about the dynamics of subglacial lakes and their impact on ice formations.
The gradual refill of the subglacial lake raised new questions about the source of the water replenishing the underground reservoir. While surface meltwater was initially thought to account for a significant portion of the refilling, further calculations showed that an unknown water source contributed to the lake’s recovery. This mystery added another layer of complexity to the ghostly figure’s transformation and the underlying processes at play in Greenland’s icy landscape.
### Climate Change Implications
As scientists delved deeper into the origins of the ghostly figure and the dynamics of subglacial lakes, they speculated on the role of human-caused climate change in triggering such events. The rapid drainage of the subglacial lake in 2011 raised concerns about the potential impacts of climate change on Greenland’s ice structures and the stability of subglacial reservoirs.
Similar collapses in subglacial lakes in Antarctica highlighted the vulnerability of these underground water bodies to environmental changes, with scientists warning of potential consequences for ice loss in polar regions. The interconnected nature of subglacial lakes and their impact on ice stability underscored the importance of understanding these processes in the context of a changing climate.
### Conclusion
The ghostly figure that emerged in Greenland’s ice after an underground lake collapse remains a fascinating and enigmatic phenomenon that continues to intrigue researchers and observers. As scientists unravel the mysteries behind this ghostly apparition and its transformation over time, new insights into the dynamics of subglacial lakes and their response to environmental changes emerge.
The ghostly figure serves as a reminder of the complex and interconnected processes shaping Greenland’s icy landscape, highlighting the need for ongoing research and monitoring to understand the impacts of climate change on polar regions. By studying these enigmatic structures and their evolution, scientists aim to gain a better understanding of the forces shaping our planet’s icy realms and the implications for future climate scenarios.
